DINS for the issue of March 13, 2014

	March 13, 2014 | Jamadi-ul-Awwal 11, 1435
The DAWN Internet News Alert (DINA) is a free daily news service from Pakistan’s largest English language newspaper, the Daily DAWN.
Govt, army see Taliban as existential threat: US general By Anwar Iqbal WASHINGTON: The Pakistani government and the military both saw the Taliban as an existential threat to their state and were committed to dealing with it, the commander of US and international forces in Afghanistan informed Congress on Wednesday. Gen Joseph Dunford also told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was committed to talks with the Taliban but it’s not clear if conditions were right for a constructive engagement with the TTP.	For suggestions and comments: Email: webmaster@dawn.com Website: http://dawn.com Fax: +92(21) 35693995 Karachi Stocks up 66.24 Points: KARACHI, March 12 : At the close of trading, the KSE-100 index was 27375.26 ,up 66.24 points. Forex Update : KARACHI, March 12: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at 98.75 to the US Dollar in the open market.
PM’s visit bowls Imran over By Syed Irfan Raza and Iftikhar A. Khan ISLAMABAD: In a rare show of political maturity and harmony, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif went to the residence of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday and took him into confidence on peace talks with the Taliban. Following the meeting, the government formed its new committee to hold what it called direct and result-oriented talks with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Military to fight terror within limits set by govt By Our Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD: The military command said on Wednesday the armed forces would fight terror within the limits set for them by the government, but stopped short of issuing an outright endorsement of the ongoing talks with the Taliban. After a meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, the principal coordination forum of the armed forces, a spokesman said: “The meeting reaffirmed the resolve of armed forces to fight the menace of terrorism under a comprehensive strategy within the policy parameters set by the political leadership.”
At least 14 killed in Lyari bloodshed By Imtiaz Ali KARACHI: At least 14 people — eight women, four children and two men — were killed when a group of men armed with assault rifles and hand-grenades attacked a crowded commercial area in Lyari on Wednesday. Over two dozen people were injured. The assailants apparently wanted to avenge the death of one of their men in an alleged encounter with police and Rangers on late Tuesday night, officials and witnesses said.
Dollar falls below Rs98 KARACHI: Dollar retreated further on Wednesday to Rs98, three months after it had hit an all-time high against the rupee. The greenback dipped below Rs98 in both inter-bank and open market trading to as low as Rs97.20-40 and Rs97.60, respectively. However, the rate closed at Rs98.00-20 in the inter-bank and Rs98.30-50 in the kerb market on Wednesday.
Funding for military operation no issue: Dar By Khaleeq Kiani ISLAMABAD: Funding will not be an issue if the government decides to go for a military operation because terrorism has to be eradicated from the country, regardless of the cost, says Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. “Funding is no issue to get this nation, this country and the people out of this menace but we want to give peace a last chance. We cannot tolerate this (terrorism) to continue,” he said at a news conference held on Wednesday apparently to celebrate almost 8 per cent appreciation of the rupee against the dollar in a few weeks.
Bureaucrats to pursue dialogue with Taliban By Amir Wasim ISLAMABAD: The newly-formed government committee comprising three serving bureaucrats and a former one is expected to begin its work for holding dialogue with militants in the coming days, but there is a question mark over its decision-making powers and limitations. The government says it will be a “decision-making body” and the previous committee headed by the prime minister’s special assistant Irfan Siddiqui was tasked only with establishing contacts with the militants.
Avalanche kills four troops; 22 rescued Dawn Report ISLAMABAD / SKARDU: Four soldiers were killed when a snow slide hit their camp in Astore district on Tuesday night. According to a military spokesman, 26 soldiers got trapped under the massive snow slide and 22 of them were rescued despite extreme weather conditions.
Setback for efforts to bring Aafia home By Mateen Haider ISLAMABAD: The government’s efforts to secure early repatriation of Dr Aafia Siddiqui from the US suffered a setback after the Council of Europe rejected its request for accession to the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, according to sources. In August last year the federal cabinet approved a proposal for the government to seek accession to the Council of Europe’s treaty on transfer of convicts. Subsequently, Sartaj Aziz, the Prime Minister’s Adviser for Foreign Affairs and National Security, wrote a letter to the council requesting accession to the convention.
Violation of rules alleged in award of transmission line contract By Ahmad Fraz Khan LAHORE: The government’s plan to award an ‘unsolicited’ Rs25 billion contract for the Neelum-Jhelum power project transmission line to a Chinese firm hit snags after the Wapda finance member refused to go along with the move, citing gross anomalies in the process. Earlier, the Ministry of Water and Power had withdrawn the project from the National Transmission and Dispatch Company — a specialised agency to build transmission lines — and asked Wapda to execute the plan because the NTDC could not manage to award the contract to the particular firm.
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